Abstract: A disc protecting cover for preventing a disc used as an information recording medium from being damaged or wounded while the disc is not in use, which comprises a flat portion (11;11A) having a diameter smaller than that of a disc which is provided with a center hole and a signal reading surface portion formed on a part of the surface thereof extending around the center hole, and an engaging portion (12) projecting from a central part of the flat portion (11'11A) and adapted to be inserted into the center hole of the disc to engage with the same. The flat portion (11;11A) covers the signal reading surface portion of the disc when the engaging portion (12) is inserted into the center hole of the disc to engage with the same. The disc protecting cover is attached to the disc to be detachable therefrom and can reliably protect the signal reading surface portion of the disc against damage or wound without covering portions of the disc which are not required to be covered therewith.

Abstract: A portable video cassette camera or minicam, preferably a palmcorder, is placed within a vehicle so as to monitor the activity within the passenger compartment. The minicam is contained in a box fastened to a wall within the vehicle so as to prevent the theft of the minicam. The minicam is mounted on a base adapted to fit snugly inside the box, the door of the box is opened, the base and minicam are placed inside the box once the minicam is set to record, and the door is closed. The minicam records the activity occurring in the passenger compartment through a solar cool glass window located in the door of the box.

Abstract: An automatic answering telephone apparatus for sending an out-going message through a telephone line and recording at least one incoming message on a magnetic tape using a tape recorder which can record a conversation between an operator and a conversation partner on the magnetic tape not in the automatic answering mode, the tape recorder further having rewinding, fast-forward winding and stop functions, and including: a position detector for detecting a tape travelling position; a memory for storing the detected tape traveling position such as to store the detected tape travelling position of the end of the latest incoming massage; a line status detector for detecting a change in status of the telephone line; and a controller responsive to an output of the line status detector, the detected tape travelling position, and the stored tape travelling position for positioning the magnetic tape to the stored tape travelling position using the fast-forward winding and the stop functions when the line status detecto

Abstract: A cleaning cartridge for use with an optical recording apparatus cleans from outside of the apparatus, an object lens of an optical disc recording apparatus or the like having a separation type optical system and glass covers for covering projection windows through which lasers are projected. A brush (28)for use on an object lens and a brush (26) for cleaning the glass covers (18)can be moved from outside. In order to effect operation of the cleaner, the transfer base (movable portion including the object lens of the head) is adapted to be transferred by the magnet, the inclined face or a transfer means within the apparatus.

Abstract: An improved cooling device for cooling the magnetic head (M) of a magneto-optical disc player includes a plurality of arcuate ribs (R) formed as portions of concentric circles and having centers coincident with the axis of rotation of the disc player. The reading/recording head (M) is arranged between the ribs. The rotation of the disc in the proximity of the cooling device creates airflow between the ribs and serves to cool the magnetic head.

Abstract: An apparatus for winding small rolls of paper from large rolls includes a counter to measure the length of the web being wound, a presser to sense and control the outer diameter of the small rolls, an encoder to detect and control the diameter of the small roll as it approaches the pre-determined desired diameter thereof, and an electronic logic control connected to the counter, the presser and the encoder whereby to ensure that the weight of paper and the outer diameter of the small rolls will always be within the predetermined limits. The apparatus may also include a device to record the weight of the small roll and sensors to automatically adjust the length of the web and also the roll diameter as the small roll is being formed. The sensors may also include fine and coarse tuners to adjust more precisely the movement of the web onto the small roll within relatively narrow tolerances.

Abstract: A magneto-optical positioning apparatus for synchronously positioning both a magnetic pickup device and an optical pickup device over the tracks of a disc and including an arm member, a magnetic head, a pair of parallel first support links, each of the first support links being integrally formed with and hinged at one end to the arm member and hinged at another end to the magnetic head, the first support links forming a first parallelogram linkage allowing the magnetic head to follow fluctuations of the disk in a plane perpendicular to a recording surface of the disc while maintaining the magnetic head parallel to the recording surface, a base support, and a pair of parallel second support links, each of the second support links being integrally formed with and hinged at one end to the arm member and hinged at another end to the base support to form a second parallelogram linkage for raising and lowering the arm member towards and away from the recording surface of the disk while maintaining the arm substanti

Abstract: An automatic disc playback system for playing back discs such as compact discs or the like includes a pair of juxtaposed racks each housing a plurality of trays (3) with respective discs (4) placed thereon, a disc playback unit (120, 121) for playing back any one, at a time, of the discs, and a disc feed unit (40) disposed between the racks and movable therealong the racks, for feeding any one, at a time, of the discs from the racks to the disc playback unit. The disc feed unit has a disc drawing mechanism (60) for drawing a tray with a disc placed thereon from the rack, holding the disc, returning the tray into the rack before the disc is fed from the rack to the disc playback unit by the disc feed unit.

Abstract: A disk magazine (1) for containing a plurality of disks (8) includes a detachable lid (4) for covering its disk outlet (2), enabling to take out the disks, a plurality of disk-pushing means (6) for pushing out the disks (8) one by one through the outlet (2). This prevents dust from entering or disks from popping out the magazine when the disk magazine (1) is not in use. A compact recording/reproducing apparatus provided detachably with the disk magazine (1) can be constructed if a single motor (85) is used to drive a pushing lever (87) for selectively thrusting the disk pushing means (6) to selectively push said disk (8) out of the disk magazine (1), and disk transfer means for loading the pushed disk (8) onto, or unloading it from, the recording/reproducing drive unit. A pushing lever (87) is connected to a press piece (107) which pushes portions (11a) of magazine slide levers (11) to be pushed, thereby causing discs to be pushed out of the magazine (1).

Abstract: An information recording disc including a plurality of disc substrates (2), at least one of which has a recording medium containing layer (1), two pieces of hubs mounted over the center hole of said disc substrates on both sides thereof, each hub having a portion to be inserted into said center hole and a flange portion to cover a portion of said disc substrate in the vicinity of said center hole, and an adhesive layer (13, 14) formed between said hubs and said disc substrates and between said two hubs. An adhesive layer (7) laminates the substrates (2a, 2b) to one another.

Abstract: An optical disc drive device includes an optical unit (10) and a movable pickup (11). The optical unit is fixedly provided on a chassis and has a light source for radiating a light beam towards an optical disc (13) and a light receiving section for receiving a return light beam reflected from the optical disc. The movable pickup is supported on the chassis for movement along the radius of the optical disc and has an object lens (22) for converging the light beam radiated from the light source to the surface of the optical disc and a driving unit for driving the object lens at least in a direction along its optical axis. The optical disc drive device further includes a first light incident-light outgoing section (1) for the light beam provided on the optical unit and a second light incident-light outgoing section (2) for the light beam provided on the movable pickup. The first and the second hoods (3,4) are fitted one into the other when the movable pickup approaches the optical unit.

Abstract: A disc (14,24) providing magnetic absorption and mechanical damping is provided which is for mounting near or upon the top of a Compact Disc (100) in position in a CD player. The disc includes one or more layers of material having high magnetic permeability, such as MuMetal. In a specific embodiment, a damping disc is formed of a pair of MuMetal layers on the order of 0.004 inch in thickness separated by a substantially rigid elastomer. The damping disc provides shielding and magnetic loading by absorbing magnetic fields of a player drive motor and arm servo motor to dissipate energy, thereby reducing magnetic field coupling with electronic signal components. The damping disc is mounted on top of a CD (100) and includes a magnetic shielding layer (12) and an acoustic damping layer (16).

Abstract: An optical disc cartridge handling apparatus, which has a removable cartridge magazine for loading and unloading groups of cartridges into the apparatus, for storing, handling, reading and writing of the optical discs stored within the cartridges. A flipper mechanism is provided to receive one of the cartridges from either of the magazine or an optical disc drive within the apparatus. Means are included for rotating the flipper mechanism about a common center line for inverting the cartridge within the flipper mechanism. A picker mechanism is included for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disc drive. A traverse mechanism is provided for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either a particular slot of the magazine or the cartridge slot of the optical disc drive.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording apparatus including a magnetic head applying a magnetic field to a magneto-optical recording medium in a region wider than a minimum bit record area thereby forming a magnetic field region, a beam source and an optical system forming on the magneto-optical recording medium a laser beam spot defining the minimum bit record area, a modulation unit for modulating at least one of the magnetic field and the laser beam thereby forming the laser beam spot within the range of the magnetic field region, and a mechanical unit for moving the magnetic field region and the laser beam spot relative to each other on the magneto-optical recording medium while the modulation unit is under operation, the magnetic head being floated to be spaced apart from the surface of the magneto-optical recording medium by a distance not smaller than 10 .mu.m while the mechanical unit is under operation.

Abstract: A disc player having a tray drive mechanism, a disc clamp mechanism and a pickup assembly which are mounted on a fixed chassis. A spindle motor for drivingly rotating a turntable is coupled to a motor lift mechanism and drivable upward and downward relative to the chassis. The turntable is movable upward from a standby position below a tray in a loading completed position to a disc clamping completed position where the disc can be pressed into contact with a clamp of the disc clamp mechanism. A drive gear mechanism has a plurality of output portions coupled to the tray drive mechanism, the motor lift mechanism, and the pick-up assembly. The drive gear mechanism also has a power transmission change-over device for transmitting the power of a loading motor selectively to are of the clamps mechanism, the tray drive mechanism, and the pick-up assembly.

Abstract: Call completion apparatus is disclosed for enhancing the integration of voice store and forward facilities with calling parties attempting to complete telephone calls to a telephone switching system. The call completion equipment intercepts incoming calls, provides voice prompts to the calling parties, and collects telephone extension digit information. On a determination of the unavailability of the called party, the call completion equipment prompts the calling party concerning an optional connection to voice store and forward equipment. In response to the input of a digit code by the calling party, the call completion equipment consults personality tables, translation tables and call flow control tables to provide all the appropriate information which is outpulsed through the telephone switching system to the voice store and forward facility. The operations of the call completion equipment in establishing communications with the voice store and forward facility are transparent to the calling party.

Abstract: A structure for preventing the dislocation of a spring is provided in an optical disk cartridge wherein a shutter (23) is opened and closed in accordance with a sliding movement of a sliding jig (24) provided in the inner portion of the shutter and joined to the spring contacting portions of cartridge case via a spring (27). The spring contacting portions of the cases consist of the surfaces of a contacting wall (32), and upper (33) and lower (34) walls extending from the contacting wall, the lower wall being provided with a spring dislocation preventing projection (36).

Abstract: A casing of a sound record playing apparatus includes of an upper body (1B) and a lower body (1A), and a vibration plate (16) is formed by reducing a thickness of a part of the upper body. An inner surface of the vibration plate is in abutment with a pickup (13) to amplify the vibrations of the pickup. Thus, a conical speaker which has been used conventionary can be eliminated, and the thickness of the recording disk reproducing apparatus is reduced. Expansion member (6) includes cam surfaces (71b, 72b) which force the grooved recording disk (2) away from the pickup (13) when the expansion member (6) is rotated conversely.

Abstract: An optical pickup having an optical disk (22); a laser diode (11); an objective lens for forming a beam spot on the optical disk; an optical element for guiding a beam from the laser diode to the objective lens; a photodetector for converting a reflected beam from the optical disk into an information signal and an error signal; an optical holder to which at least the objective lens is secured; a first circuit board (17) to which at least the laser diode and the photodetector are attached; an optical base to which the first circuit board (17), is secured; at least the laser diode, the optical element and the photodetector being sealed by the optical holder and the optical base so as to form an optical unit; a stationary member; a second circuit board (28) secured to the stationary member; an elastic support member (21) for elastically supporting the optical unit, which is electrically connected to the first and second circuit boards; at least one permanent magnet (23) secured to the optical unit; a first drive

Abstract: A compact disk player has a polycarbonate turntable, and a clamper (201) for clamping a compact disk on the turn table. The turn table is made of the same material (polycarbonate) as the compact disk and includes a disk body, a central hub projected from the disk body to receive a center hole of a compact disk and a peripheral annular portion formed integrally with the disk body.